The present disclosure relates to a surgical device for soft tissue treatment, including devices and methods for selectively cutting and removing tissues.
Tendon injuries are commonly caused by repeated tendon strain, and can range from simple micro tears with inflammation to complete tears and ruptures. Healthy tendons include mature, highly-organized, type I collagen fibers, which are capable of withstanding relatively large tensile loads. A typical tendon injury, or tendinopathy, may be marked by an increased presence of immature, type III collagen, characterized by a loose fibril organization. Increased type III collagen disrupts type I collagen alignment, potentially leading to a loss in strength and increased water retention of the tendon, which in turn, contributes to the cycle of injury and may lead to painful nerve impingement.
In order to treat tendon or other connective tissue injuries or diseases, minimally invasive devices and techniques for selectively removing soft tissues or portions of soft tissue, like type III collagen, while leaving healthy tissue undisturbed are desired. Conventional minimally invasive techniques may be performed using multiple instruments and entry points into the body. Such techniques may also require various compounds or equipment to enable visualization of a surgical site. A device that may reduce the number of entry points or instruments used, safely dislodge and remove pathologic tissue while leaving healthy, native tissues undisturbed, would provide significant advantages to surgeons and patients
The present disclosure provides surgical devices and methods for selectively treating soft tissue.